Ohio State guard Aaron Craft takes defense to a high level

Gene J. Puskar / The Associated PressOhio State's Aaron Craft, right, is known for stripping the ball from opponents and simply making life miserable for them for the entire game with his chest-to-chest defense.

Aaron Craft is the itch that can’t be scratched, the faucet with the never-ending drip, the gnat that buzzes around the ear and can’t be coaxed to leave, no matter how many times it’s the target of a swat.

He’s an irritant.

He’s an aggravator.

And his Ohio State teammates love him for it, because he could be the best in the nation at doing his job, almost crawling into the jersey of opposing point guards as the first, and best, line of defense for the Buckeyes.

“I just try to make anyone I’m guarding maybe a little bit uncomfortable,” said Craft, who routinely violates every personal space code that can be breached on a basketball court. “Just to not let them get to what they wanted to do the first time they go down the floor. It’s tough once you get this deep in the tournament. You start playing against great guards day in and day out. So understanding that they are going to make a shot and they are going to go by me, and just come back possession after possession, let them know that I’m going to be there the entire game.

“Defense is definitely the thing I’ve always hung my hat on. I couldn’t score much (growing up), but I could definitely frustrate them (on defense).”

That ability to agitate is a characteristic he’ll certainly want to carry over to Saturday, when Ohio State plays Kansas at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the second national semifinal. The winner earns a trip to the national championship game Monday night.

“He was the whole key to the game, and more importantly, he did it defensively,” Florida Coach Billy Donovan said, after the Buckeyes beat his Gators 81-74 in November. “He physically beat up our guards. He is as good as any guard there is out there. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”

“He’s as good a lead guard as there is in the country,” said Kansas Coach Bill Self, whose team beat Ohio State 78-67 in December. “He can get his foot in the paint (on offense) and score.

“But to me, defensively, I’ve never seen a better guy at digging back and raking the ball out of (post players’) hands.”

That’s not to say that no guard plays better defense than Craft, a 6-foot-2 sophomore. It’s just to say that if you’re looking for a player who harasses opponents to the point they might be inclined to shove him away, then there might not be a better place to start than with Craft, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Now, it wouldn’t be fair or accurate to totally paint him as a one-way player, or a liability on offense. Craft averages 8.8 points and 4.7 assists, and has raised those numbers to 10.3 and 5.8 in the NCAA Tournament, and shoots 51 percent.

And that he has great hands, as Self mentioned, isn’t to be overlooked. He averages 2.5 steals per game, 3.3 in the tournament.

But when a player is as thoroughly pesky as is Craft defensively, able to invade the psyche of opponents and frustrate them often to tamp down their aggression because he simply will not go away, it’s hard to not take notice.

“Aaron is a great example for our team,” Ohio State Coach Thad Matta said. “Every time he takes the floor, it starts with him.

“They see him the other night landing in the fourth row of the Boston (TD Banknorth) Garden, and then coming back and getting the ball on the other side. Our guys start to appreciate that more and more in practice. How he plays in a game is exactly how he practices. His leadership on the defensive end is something we can’t ever take for granted.”

I’m guessing they don’t. I’m guessing each and every Buckeye understands how vital Craft’s contributions are, and they know he’s a critical member of a 31-7 team that’s hoping to lead Ohio State to the championship game for the first time since 2007.

Now, Craft isn’t a superman. He readily admits he needs help.

“I have great faith and trust in my teammates, that they’re going to be there when I need them,” he said.

But he’s an uncommon agitator, the best proof being the number of opposing point guards he has grounded, and ground up.

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John DeShazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3410.